On Brand with Nick Westergaard

On Brand helps organizations and individuals tell stronger stories and build better brands. Each week host Nick Westergaard, author of Brand Now and Get Scrappy, interviews marketing and communication thought leaders or those working for innovative brands like Adobe, Ben & Jerry’s, Maker’s Mark, the Minnesota Vikings, The Onion, Salesforce, and Whole Foods. For show notes and more, please visit http://onbrandpodcast.com.

The Hidden Science of Brand Associations

How do brands really live in our minds? According to Ulli Applebaum, it’s all about associations — the complex web of meanings and emotions that define how people see your brand. This week on On Brand, the international strategy veteran and author of The Science of Brand Associations shares how we can use science, not…

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World-Building Brands in an AI Era

Geoff Cook’s career took off the night he met MoMA’s CMO—and helped create the iconic MoMA QNS brand. Since then, he’s shaped brands from MILK and NeueHouse to Times Talks, JFK Terminal 4, and the Prince Estate. Partner at Base, mentor at TechStars, and global culture expert, Geoff shares how bold branding can leave a…

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Taylor’s Version, Bonus Track! Showgirl Spotlight

In this special bonus episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, now that The Life of a Showgirl is out in the world, we’re asking: what does this new era tell us about Taylor Swift? To explore, I’m joined by Joanna Weiss, editor of Harvard Magazine, journalist, and co-author of Taylor Swift: Album by Album, a…

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The Power of Productive Tension in Branding

What makes a brand unforgettable instead of overlooked? Tom Miner knows. As Head of Global Social Media at Crocs, he helped drive one of today’s biggest brand turnarounds. Now author of Social First Brands, Tom shares how embracing productive tension, making personality your secret weapon, and riding trends that matter can turn comments into real…

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Taylor’s Version, Pt 4: Swifties & Storytelling

In this episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, we’re joined by Ann Handley — Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, and one of IBM’s ‘7 people shaping modern marketing.’ Ann brings not just her marketer’s eye but also her mom’s heart to the Swiftiverse. We’ll explore how Taylor’s storytelling fuels parasocial…

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How AI Is Rewriting Answer Optimization

Few business thinkers have shaped customer experience and marketing as profoundly as Jay Baer. A 7th-generation entrepreneur, best-selling author, and creator of six multi-million-dollar companies, he’s helped more than 700 brands, from Nike to the United Nations, grow and connect with customers in ways that matter. Now, he’s challenging everything marketers think they know about…

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Taylor’s Version, Pt 3: Eras & Education

In this episode of On Brand Taylor’s Version, we’re joined by Stephanie Burt, poet, critic, and professor of English at Harvard University. Stephanie made headlines when she created and taught one of the very first college courses on Taylor Swift at Harvard, Taylor Swift and her world. We discuss what it means to study Taylor…

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Creative Swings, Not Cracker Barrel

What do Hot Wheels, Disney, Burton, and WWE have in common? They’ve all had Mark Michaylira driving their brand forward. With two decades of creative leadership behind some of the world’s most beloved names, Mark knows how to make work that’s not just bold and joyful but rooted in culture—and powerful enough to move business….

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Taylor’s Version, Pt 2: Fearless Focus

In this episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, we’re joined by Emily Campion — Henry B. Tippie Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. Emily’s research explores how organizations hire and develop talent. But today, she’s here to talk about something decidedly more human: Taylor Swift’s relentless work ethic,…

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TikTok and the Future of Storytelling

Few platforms have changed culture as quickly—or as globally—as TikTok. Khartoon Weiss, VP and GM of North America and Global Business Solutions, is at the center of it, helping brands and businesses connect with audiences in ways that are creative, authentic, and impactful. From scaling Spotify to leading top agencies, she’s built a career on…

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